The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-01-27
OUR GIRLS
And How to Educate Them.
A Timely Article on the Subject of Fe'
male Education.

The following article we take from
Our M0nthLy, a very neat little publ
cation the organ Of the Henderson re-
male College:
A father who can see his blue-eyed,
faxen-haired girl around his hearth
stone and table-or the dark eyes and
sweet smile of child, the counterpart
of her dear mother-and have no de-
sire-earnest desire-to sec all that's
beautiful and true and good cultivated
and strengthened in her young heart
and life, is justly an object OF pity. The
future home and happiness of that
Young life is very largely to be deter
mined now. What shall we do for our
girls? What is the wisest plan to pur-
sue as they grow up around uss Jesus
Christ, the Son Of God in his memo
rable "Sermon on the Mount asks
this question "Is not the life more
than meat and the body than raiment?"
as if He should say, have you been
created merely to eat and to wear
How pointed then is his rebuke to those
parents. who have encouraged their
girls to believe that mere temporal
comforts, personal beauty, elegant and
costly attire, were the elements that
made a true and beautiful woman.
One fully given up to such lite IS little
more than a Carlcature on 'Goo last
best gift to man." In contrast
Earth presents no sweeter sight than
a woman of noble, but modest bearing,
cultured in mind and manners, pure
in heart, careful of the tender amenities
of life, patient in suffering. firm as a
rock in character, true to the connu-
bal VOWS taken at the altar, and walk
ing hand in hand with the one manly
object of her woman's heart. Is 1t
not the part then Of wisdom, IS 1t not
our bounden duty, daily to strive by
precept and example to cultivate these
beautiful graces in our daughters !?
Learn them to have their homes
like sunshine to all who cross its por-
tails, patient and gentle with the little
ones. tender and dutiful to dear old
parents.
Scott says:
| az there be human tear,
From passions dross refined and clear,
tear SO limpid and SO meek,
It would not stain an angels cheek,
'Tis that which pious fathers shed,
Upon dutious daughters head"
We must educate them. Never in
all The history of the world was such a
wide and lively interest felt in the ed
ucation of women. 1t is phenomenal.
, Good men, men of high and noble
: impulses, pure in life and heart should
be called to this great work, for what
work is greater? All over this broad
land, Institutes are going up for the
better education of women. | think
the first regularly chartered female col
lege in this country, or in any Other
country, was established in Macon Ga.
in 1890. Now we count them by hun
dreds. Towns and cities are not com
plete in their appointments, until thl:
crowning jewel is added to grea
churches, warehouses, factories, anC
stores.
Saws the late accomplished Bishop
! Pierce of Georgia, in speaking of thl:
matter:
, "The rage for female education il
; Georgia is phenomenon, an anomaly
almost a mania II is strange, won
derful, well-nigh unaccountable. Re
garded as a great social fact IN the pro
f gress of the times and the people, /
. has no parallel in the past. Hlstor.
: records no such movement. The old
: est civilization of the Old World fur
. nished no such development. Poetry
9 romance, chivalry, never dreamed o
such devotion to woman. 1t is mon
: umental fact, the acknowledged me
mortal of tardy justice, and the sig
s nifcant index of popular conviction
= and purpose.
e e A peculiar public spirit has bee1
: awakened; parental ambition has beel
y reused. Village vies with village, cit
with city; the State is adorned wit
# buildings, all beautiful, some magnifi
Il cent. Decayed towns are revived, an
: this empire commonwealth is made tn
3 glory of her citizens and the wonde
t, of her neighbors. Eastern, Middle
% Western, Northern, and Southern Geol
gia are we'll supplied with these instru
mentalities of education. A "femal
college has come to be the index
- progress in the line of social advance
r ment; the exponent of civilization, tn
!, front banner in the march of mind; tn
n. central diamond in the diadem of ths
n wondrous age we glorify as the nine
10 teenth century. AS stone cast int
the bosom of the sleeping waters ag
tates them to their utmost boundarle
so the refuent waves of the moyemel
in Macon seventeen years ago are sweel
ing out in circles wider and wider still
Do Do Already the undulations are beating
I'd the base of your farthest mountain
ce rolling unchecked over your southel
I" plains-on, still on, knowing Meth
es WEAKNESS nor rest. Who shall, wi
c. would stay the tide? Albeit, we knc
o~ not whereunto this thing may groN